I’m two weeks into the first parent group I’ve run since the spring. While I’m regularly with new parents in their homes, I was reminded the past two Fridays of the power of bringing together first time parents. While many of the folks in the group have other supports; family, friends with older kids, postpartum doulas, those supports are so different than the support they provide to each other.

They say that having a baby is the biggest life transition one can go through. I’ve also heard (and experienced) how when you are removed from the postpartum period and your children are older, you tend to forget what it truly is like.

The empathy these parents provide for each other is inspiring. The head nodding, sighs of “yes” or “me too!” create an environment of love and understanding. And when facilitated correctly, those with different experiences also feel the space to share and have their experiences validated with notes of “that sounds hard” or “wow that’s great.”

The shared experience of being thrown into new parenthood, an experience you can’t fully prepare for, no matter how hard you try, creates lifelong bonds. From my view as the facilitator, I can almost see the warm energy created in the room. It is magic.

Sign up for my next session of Getting Started here. Starts November 3rd!